The Year that Changed Everything
by THELASTMARAUDER55
Summary: James has been chasing Lily Evans for years, but he thinks it's time to give up when Lily returns for 7th year with a new boyfriend. Will Lily ever let James get close to her? Will the Marauders survive the chaos of 7th year as war rages around them?
1. Strained Friendships

**A/N**

**This is my take on James and Lily's 7th year. I hope to update about twice a week with chapters of varying length. Please read and tell me what you think, good or bad!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

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><p>James Potter was nervous. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone else.<p>

"Oye mate, hurry up we're already late and your mum is pissed". Sirius warned him while munching on a particularly crunchy piece of toast.

"Just give me another minute."

"Nope, our second home awaits us my friend and it's time to go", Sirius began flinging pillows at James to get him up.

James dragged himself out his comfy bed for the last time that summer. His stomach turned at the thought of what he had to face that day. Lily Evans, the girl he had unsuccessfully chased for the better portion of two years, was now Head Girl. Not surprising. However, James' shocking Head Boy appointment meant the two of them would be spending plenty of time together this year. Normally this would be great news and a cause for a Marauder celebration, but apparently Lily had been spending most of her time this summer in London with a certain Ravenclaw.

James wanted to hate Stephen Fletcher, he really did. He stole the girl that everyone thought would eventually give in to the Potter charm. He was somehow accepted and admired by Lily, who wouldn't give James the time of day. All of this made James' blood boil but he couldn't deny that Fletcher was a good guy. He watched from the sidelines long enough, and when it appeared that James would never succeed, politely asked Lily to join him in Hogsmeade one weekend. The guy had never said anything wrong to James or the Maruaders and was at least a way better option for Lily than someone like Snivellus. Besides, back in the fourth year his older brother Dung snuck James his first ever firewhiskey.

"JAMES!" Ann Potter screeched from the kitchen

"Bloody Hell", he moaned, slowly trudging down the spiral staircase with his trunk floating behind him, "Im coming Mum, don't worry"

This was the first boyfriend that Evans had ever had. Throughout all her rejections, James rationalized that at least she didnt fancy another bloke. As long as Lily was on the market, he reckoned he still had a chance. But now that chance was ruined, and Fletcher beat him, fair and square.

Dejected, James sat down and quickly stuffed himself with eggs while his father, Harold Potter, read the Daily Prophet.

"Now James, are you prepared for your meeting on the train?"

"Yes Dad, we went over this last night", James' parents were thrilled with his Head Boy appointment and were eager for him to live up to Dumbledore's expectations.

"Oh yes im sure Prongsie will be a good little boy this year and keep those pesky Marauders in line" snickered Sirius.

James just shook his head, already thinking of his more pressing issue, far greater than his Lily problems.

At the end of last term Sirius played his vicious prank on Snape, almost resulting in Snivellus' death and Remus' exposure as a werewolf. James barely stopped Snape as he reached the end of the tunnel, but there were still reprecussions. Sirius received detention for the rest of the term, not that this was anything new.

Remus was absolutely livid. Peter and James were both pissed for a few days, but Peter quickly got over it and James could never seem to stay mad at his best mate for long. But Remus was a different story. Sirius had messed with his life, his entire future! No one had ever seen him like this before. Sirius begged and pleaded for his forgiveness but Remus could not let it go. The school year ended with the two former best friends still on bad terms.

James kept in contact with Remus throughout the summer with letters coming in every few days. But Remus refused to talk about Sirius and wouldn't even come visit on nights when Peter would stay over at the Potter Mansion with James and Sirius.

Today was a big day for the Marauders as the two would finally be forced to speak to each other. Sirius seemed to think that Remus would be more forgiving now that some time had passed, but James knew better. Moony and Padfoot may never be the same.

After finishing his breakfast and saying goodbye to his Dad ("Don't give Minerva any trouble this term!") he apparated to King's Cross along with Sirius and his mum.

Arriving in the station his mum began to tear up as usual

"I'm going to miss you boys, please write at least once a week! James, do your best as Head Boy, I know you'll make us proud"

"You know I will Mum" James replied while kissing her on the cheek goodbye

He began searching for Moony and Wormtail as he heard his mum promising to send Sirius some extra treacle tarts next week (James swore he's her favorite son sometimes).

"Prongs!" Peter practically tackled him from behind in his excitement.

"Hey Pete, how have you been mate?"

"Not bad, finally ditched my mum. She kept bugging me about finishing NEWTs so I can get a half-decent job at the Ministry next year. I don't even want to be in the Ministry, but she says its the most respected job a Pettigrew could have" said the smaller boy "So what's our plan for the feast?"

"Plan?" James had been only half listening as he caught a glimpse of Lily's flowing auburn hair as she boarded the train.

"Our opening prank! Its tradition!"

Each year the Marauders came up with more elaborate and devious pranks for the Opening Feast that always kept the faculty and students on their toes. Last year they turned all of the Slytherin table's robes into Gryffindor red and gold. Everyone knew who pulled these pranks but the boys were smooth enough to leave no proof.

"Bugger, Peter I'm Head Boy, I can't be pulling off stunts like that already. Evans will have my head!"

"Yeah I guess your right, Remus probably won't even help if Sirius is involved anyway", moped Peter.

"Hey let's find Moony he's probably on the train already", suggested James.

With Sirius nowhere in sight, the two friends picked up their trunks and boarded the Hogwarts Express, with James giving one last wave to his Mum. They went straight to the back of the train, to the very last compartment where the Marauders always met. They found that Sirius and Remus were already seated on opposite sides of the compartment, staring idly out the window in dead silence.

"Er hey mates, How's it going Moony", Peter tried

Remus brightened at the sight of his two trusted friends, while Sirius looked relieved that he finally had some allies in the room. James chose his seat next to Remus and quickly engaged him in conversation about his Head duties, while Peter and Sirius debated which of the secret passages they wanted to hit first upon their arrival.

"So Prongs, are you ready to work with Evans?" Remus questioned, grinning.

"Yeah, I mean I'm gonna try to do what I can, but she already thinks me a complete idiot and she's furious that she got stuck with me."

After finding out who her Head Boy partner was to be, Evans had sent a scathing letter to James about the responsibilities he was going to have and how it's time to "stop acting like a bloody child". She also stressed that under no uncertain terms was he to make any moves on her or ask her out, especially in front of the prefects.

"She'll come around mate", said Remus, "I reckon this is the year she finally let's you take her out"

"Take her out? replied James, "I'll be lucky if she even looks at me, besides you know she's with Fletcher now. I think it's time for me to give up on Evans."

"Good" Remus said bluntly "Now she'll finally get to know you".

"Get to know me? We have been living in the same tower for 6 years now".

"Yeah but think about it, when has Lily ever gotten to know the real James? All she sees is the arrogant Quidditch star who likes to show off and flirt with any girl in sight"

Sirius butted in "Hey for the record I love the arrogant quidditch star"

Remus shot a glaring look at him "Shut it, prat. What i'm saying James is that this is your shot. Now that she has a boyfriend she can see what you're really like when you aren't showing off and asking her out"

"Im not buying it Moony, but hey i think we have to get to the Prefect's meeting now. We'll see you guys later".

James and Remus exited the compartment, leaving Peter and Sirius to another spirited debate over which 7th year Hufflepuff witch has the nicest arse.

As they made their way up towards the front of the train James tried for the hundredth time to get Moony to forgive Sirius.

"Come on mate, you gotta let it go, he knows he made a mistake. Can't we just go back to normal? Its awkward between us all now"

"No James, for the last time. He doesn't get it. I have made it through 6 years here with only you three knowing about me and he almost ruined it all just to get back at Snape for hexing you."

"You know how he is, he can't control himself sometimes."

"That isn't a good enough excuse. I told you James I can be civil toward him but it's not going back to the way things were"

James sighed in frustration, and entered the prefect's compartment.

The compartment was completely empty except for Lily Evans who just so happened to be snogging her new boyfriend goodbye.

"Oh..sorry I didnt umm see you guys, you're here early" stuttered Evans, clearly flustered and mad at herself being caught looking unprofessional.

Fletcher gave the Gryffindor boys a cordial headnod and a nervous laugh as he exited the room.

"Don't mind us Evans, we'll just sit here and wait to get our work done while you shove your tongue down Fletcher's mouth" James commented smugly.

"Shut it, git." said Evans through pursed lips. "It's good to see you though Remus how was your summer?"

"Great, it was good to get a break from school work but I'm happy to be back"

"Me too, so what NEWTs are you taking?"

James drifted off as he already knew what classes Remus was taking, and because he was cursing himself for getting off to the wrong foot with Lily.

For some reason she always got along great with all of his friends. Her and Remus were probably the two hardest workers in the grade and could always talk to each other about their work. She had a soft spot for Peter, as she frequently helped him with his Charms and Potions. But the strangest relationship was hers and Sirius'.

James and Sirius were regarded around the school as an unstoppable duo. They were inseparable, basically to the point of brothers now that Sirius had lived with the Potters for the past two summers. So naturally, around school if you were friends with James you were probably friendly with Sirius as well.

Of course, Lily Evans was the ultimate exception. Ever since third year, her and Sirius had got along marvelously. She loved his goofy humor and the arrogance she saw in James, she found playful and wholesome in Sirius. He was always there for a good laugh and she loved that about him.

Sirius on the other hand, considered Lily one of the only people outside of the Marauders that he could trust. When he was younger he used to occasionally become very sad and depressed when his family was treating him particularly cruel. Lily could identify with this because of her strained relationship with her sister, Petunia. James, Peter, and Remus all felt bad for Sirius, but they all had families who loved them and cared for them. In those times, Lily was Sirius' most important confidant.

James used to get jealous of their closeness, but Sirius knew his place. He called Lily "Prongs' girl" and she was probably the only girl who he was smart enough to never try to charm, Lily was too good for those games.

Prefects began filing in slowly until you could barely move inside the tight compartment. Among the Slytherins was Severus Snape, James nemesis, and Lily's former best friend. James and Lily took their place at the front.

"Just let me do the talking and don't say anything stupid", Lily ordered in a hushed tone that only James could hear.

"It's great to see all of you again this year. My name is Lily Evans and I am Head Girl", she said brightly to the group, "and this is James Potter, Head Boy" she managed to say with a cheery fake smile.

Neither of these two students needed any introduction. James was the best quidditch player the school had seen in years and the Marauders were notorious for their antics. Lily, was also quite well known. She was impossible to miss. One of the most stunning girls in the school, James was not the only wizard who couldn't resist her gorgeous auburn hair, dazzling green eyes, and soft, creamy, skin.

Their fueds were also famous around the school. They must have looked ridiculous in front of the Prefects with smiling faces, pretending to be the best of friends.

"We have alot we want to get done this year and we know that you guys are going to do your best to make this year great", Lily continued. "James and I will have the rounds schedule posted by the end of this week so if there are any conflicts please let us know."

"First time she has ever called me James in public", the Head Boy noted mentally.

Lily continued for a few more minutes explaining the basic guidelines, which were really only important for the new fifth year prefects. James also paid attention, since he was the first student to be promoted to Head Boy without being a prefect in about 20 years according to McGonnagall.

James couldn't help but admire how the students looked up to Lily. Granted most of the boys were probably just oggling at one of the best looking girls in the school. But the female students truely respected Lily and hung on her every word.

Lily finished her speech and told them they could return to their friends.

"Wait, I want to say something" James interrupted.

"I know you all think I'm not going to take this year seriously and everything will be a big joke, but Dumbledore gave me this job and I plan on doing it right."

Most people were still smirking and the boys were all waiting for James to bust out a joke. But he had clearly gotten Lily's attention, her face looked mildly surprised.

"Lily and I want everyone to have a fun year, but we won't let people walk over us. Let it be known that if you cross us, you will be punished. We are all leaders in here and every young student will be looking to you for direction."

He had everyone's full attention now. Who was this James Potter? Where's the trademark smile? Where's the hair ruffling?

"This is a time of unity. You all know what is going on outside of these walls. Like it or not, a war is starting and as soon as we leave here we will all be apart of it one way or another. I don't know about you guys, but I want to fight. I want to protect my friends and their families from these monsters. It all starts here. All four houses need to stick together. If we are united, we are stronger. And the stronger we are here, the stronger we will be out there"

The Hogwarts Prefects stood in shock. No one had ever seen James this fierce, even on the Quidditch Pitch. Very few people were publicly addressing the recent uprising of the dark wizard known as Voldemort and here is this 17 year old preaching about fighting and unity. Reports of Muggleborn tortures and killings rarely appeared in the Daily Prophet, but word spreads fast. People were scared, and feared speaking out against these tragedies. James' parents didnt tell him much, but he knew that his Dad frequently sent letters to Dumbledore about Muggleborn protection.

The room was frozen for what seemed like an eternity, before Snape snarled, "Thanks for the pep talk Potter, but can we go?"

"Yes everybody can leave and I look forward to working with you all in the future" James announced.

As the students filtered out Lily noted "Not bad Potter, maybe you won't embarrass Gryffindor as bad as I thought this year" she teased, with a strange glimmer in her eye that James couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Hold it Snape", James grabbed his enemy's arm as he tried to slither out of the room with the others.

When everyone else was gone James closed to door. "Muffiliato" James secured the room so no one outside could eavesdrop.

"What do you want Potter? No need to gloat over getting Head Boy, I always knew your parents would pay off Dumbledore and I didnt even want the stupid job".

James knew Snape craved the Head Boy position and yearned for the power and the chance to work with Lily, but chose to ignore the jab.

"Listen I know you found out about Remus last year in the Shrieking Shack. I need to know that you won't be spreading that info amongst your Slytherin cronies".

"Don't worry Potter your buddy Dumbledore swore me to secrecy last year"

"I know what you said to Dumbledore but I need to hear it for myself. Remus is completely harmless. He wouldnt hurt anybody and you know it. Keep your mouth shut and I can make this year alot easier for you."

"Easier for me?" Snape pushed past James to get to the door.

"How about you worry about yourself Potter, Blood traitors are in just as much trouble as Mudbloods and halfbreeds in the eyes of the Dark Lord."

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><p><strong>AN**

**So there is my first chapter of Fanfiction ever written! I have a general idea of where I want this story to go but I am definitely open to suggestions. I know there wasn't much Lily/James in this chapter but their relationship will take time to build and I want to write as much as I can about the Marauders as a group because they are equally important to the story. Please review, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.**


	2. Getting Off on the Wrong Foot

The feast was delicious as always, but otherwise the night felt strange and uncomfortable. The Marauders were split in half with Peter and James dividing their time equally between Remus and Sirius.

Sirius tried to act as if nothing was wrong and joke around as usual, but he was clearly flustered. Remus was calm and relatively normal when talking to Prongs and Wormtail, but icy and reserved whenever Padfoot spoke.

All of this tension was taking a toll on James. Not to mention, it wasn't helping that throughout the Great Hall teachers and students alike were peering over at the Gryffindor table waiting for the Marauder's big prank.

When nothing came, the crowd was noticeably disappointed, with the exception of the Slytherins.

"What happened?"

"I can't see, did I miss it?"

"They are running out of time, what are they waiting for?'

The whispering was incessant, as no one could figure out why the Marauders hadn't made their presence known yet. Expectations were high, considering this was the boys' last chance to cause chaos at the opening feast. Even a few teachers could be seen sneaking peaks at the foursome.

"You know James, they'r gonna blame this all on you", remarked Sirius, "People are gonna say you lost your touch, that you've gone soft with that badge on your chest".

"The day I go soft is the day McGonnagall snogs Slughorn", retorted James.

Peter chuckled heartily and it even got a smile out of Remus, "You never know mate, I've had a feeling about those two for years. You may be onto something."

It was their lone, genuine laugh of the night. The Marauders, kings of the school in their final year, failed to produce for their adoring fans. Reduced to making childish jokes about their teachers that had been overused for years. Awkwardly pushing food around their plates attempting to find a safe topic of conversation, without inducing a Sirius-Remus row.

James imagined that Sirius was right though. Why else would people think the Marauders chose not to execute another brilliant prank? Clearly their ringleader was scared in his new authority role. No one could sense the tension amongst the four. James figured it was probably better off this way, the less people knew about the Remus-Sirius row the better. People would soon start asking questions though if they didn't figure this out in a hurry.

As the feast ended, all James could think of was sleep. However, after leading the first years through the portrait of the Fat Lady and showing them their dorm, James and Lily were to meet with Dumbledore in his office.

When James arrived, Lily was already seated in front of Dumbledore's desk.

"Ah Mr. Potter, lovely to see you back for another year, although I must admit the feast was a bit quieter than usual", commented Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye that suggested he enjoyed the Marauders' antics.

"Now onto business. I have high expectations for you two this year. The world we live in is changing and outside of these walls Muggleborns are in constant danger."

James saw Lily's eyes grow wide in fear.

"Voldemort is gaining power. Open war is upon us. In times like these, young men and women such as yourselves are forced to grow up much too fast."

The two seventeen year olds exchanged a nervous look.

"The wizarding world needs leaders to step up, and you two are the finest in this school. Miss Evans, you are the brightest, kindest witch in your year. But you also have an intense passion and fire for the things you love, don't be afraid to use it. Your ability to love may be your most important talent."

Lily blushed profusely at the most powerful wizard in the world showering her with praise.

"James, I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that a few professors were skeptical of my head boy selection. But for me, the choice was easy. You are bold, confident and a natural leader of men. Your courage and loyalty to your friends will take you far."

The tension in the room was mounting. This did not feel like a professor addressing students about the duties of head boy/girl. This felt like a general preparing troops for battle.

"You are both exceptional individuals. But working alone, you are nowhere near as powerful as you can be when working together. I am well aware that you two have had your differences in the past. This school needs you two to overcome these differences and work as one. If you two can find a way to work together, the possibilities are endless".

"We will professor", Lily promised.

"Yes sir", James agreed.

"Now it is getting late, but I trust that you two will be able to develop a schedule for the prefects, and an itinerary for activities and events this year. You are free to go, and good luck".

The two students turned to leave, but before reaching the door Lily turned around and asked softly, "Professor...my parents...are they safe?"

The headmaster took a moment to ponder her question before responding, "I don't know, Lily. I really don't know."

Disappointed, Lily turned and exited the headmaster's office, deep in thought. Despite Dumbledore's praising words, both students felt even more nervous about their duties as heads.

They walked in silence for most of the trip back to the Gryffindor tower, before Lily questioned James.

"Ok, so do you have any ideas for activities or events we can plan this year?"

Unlike Lily, James hadn't put any thought into this until Dumbledore mentioned it.

"Er, I dunno maybe something like Quidditch pep rallies, or an intramural Quidditch tournament?"

"Is that really all you think about Potter? What about the rest of us who couldn't give a damn about Quidditch?", Lily scoffed.

James knew she was bluffing. He had sought her out in the stands before every Quidditch match of his career, and she was always right there with the rest of the Gryffindors, cheering wildly. He knew better than to call her out though and bit his tongue.

"I was thinking more like a ball, you know just something for the students to look forward to all year".

Tired beyond belief, James quietly agreed with her.

"Ok, now lets work out the schedule for rounds. I put us down for this Thursday and we can figure out everybody else's shifts from there".

James shook his head, "Not Thursday, any day but Thursday". James couldn't miss the first full moon back at Hogwarts. He had waited too long to roam the grounds with the Marauders again.

Lily looked up from her notes, confused, "Why? You couldn't have possibly scheduled Quidditch practice already."

"I just can't okay, there's something I have to do that night"

"Okay I'll just get Remus to cover for you", Lily suggested.

"No!", James exclaimed a little too enthusiastically, "Remus can't either he'll be with me that night".

Lily was clearly confused by James and his panic over Thursday night, but she let it slide, switching their shift to Friday.

They had finally reached the portrait hole and James mumbled the password (_Balderdash), _ready to go to bed.

"I figure we should let keep the pairs together from each grade." offered Lily.

"Honestly I think that's a bit contradictory", replied James.

Lily's frustration was mounting, "What do you mean Potter? Why do you have to be so difficult about everything I try to do?"

James took a moment to think before responding, "Well you see, I just gave this big speech about unity on the train, but keeping patrols within housemates sends the complete opposite message. I think we should mix in shifts with people from other houses to try and build some friendships".

Lily was impressed with his thoughtfulness.

"Wow, not a bad idea at all Potter, good thinking. We probably should still keep Slytherins and Gryffindors separate though, wouldn't want to start any fights".

"Agreed, and I wouldn't want any Gryffindors to have to look at Snivellus' greasy head for a whole night" The words just slipped out of James mouth before he could even stop them.

He had gone too far. Even though Lily no longer associated with him, she was still sensitive about the matter and did not need to hear James bash her former best friend.

"Wow, even when you have good ideas you still find a way to be an egotistical prat, Potter. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

James was visibly ashamed but had no response. She turned her back on him fuming, and began to stomp off towards the girls dormitories.

"Evans! Wait, before you go I just wanted to say..."

Lily whirled around and cut him off, "Don't say it Potter! Don't even think it. You already know the answer. It was no last year. It is no today. And it will always be no. I. Will. Not. Go. Out. With. You. Get it through your thick skull and stop embarrassing yourself!"

"_Actually _I was going to say that I think Dumbledore is right, we can be a good team", James couldn't hold himself back, "But maybe if you weren't such a colossal bitch you would have let me get the words out of my mouth before going on your little rant. The world doesn't revolve around Lily Evans you know."

And with that James stormed off to his dormitory, absolutely furious.

This time it was the fiery red-head who was left speechless. James Potter just put her in her place. I guess there's a first time for everything.

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><p><strong>AN**

**OK so this chapter was shorter than the last one but I think it was pretty important for James and Lily to meet with Dumbledore. I think I may try to have the next chapter be in Lily's POV. What do you guys think? Please Review!**


	3. Just a Pretty Girl

**A/N**

**First of all thank you to the people who have reviewed so far. I do appreciate it and it inspires me to keep writing. I do take any constructive criticism very seriously as I wish to be a better writer. Hopefully you will all keep reading and give me enough time to make each character seem more well rounded.**

**I decided to make this chapter from Lily's POV. If you guys like this I will keep mixing in Lily chapters and if not I will stick to James. Let me know what you think!**

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><p>Lily Evans woke up on her first full day as head girl and immediately panicked.<p>

"Marlene! Dorcas! get up we're going to be late!" Lily shouted to her two roommates.

"Ugh, can't we skive off Potions?" moaned Marlene, looking like she would enjoy nothing more than to sleep the rest of the day.

"Are you kidding me? Lily can't miss her first chance for Slughorn to fawn all over her", Dorcas joked, "Besides he would never start class without his star student."

Lily laughed reluctantly. Some things never change. 6 years of living together and Marlene is still lazy and Dorcas still loves to irk Lily.

Dorcas Meadowes and Marlene McKinnon were two of Lily's closest friends, along with Emmeline Vance who was in Ravenclaw.

"Come on, I'm already mad that we don't have time for breakfast".

The three girls hurried out of their dormitories, looking much more disheveled than usual.

Marlene was one of the most powerful witches in Hogwarts. She was the tallest of the four friends, with a broad frame and blonde, frizzy hair. She was exceptional at defense and had even bested Lily in playful duels a few times, but she saw no use for subjects such as Potions and Herbology. She called them "soft".

Dorcas, on the other hand was a petite brunette with a cute, tan face. Her small frame made her perfect for Quidditch and she was an excellent Seeker for Gryffindor the past two years. Thus, she was also James Potter's most trusted female confidant, although they usually just spent time strategizing. Unlike Marlene, she preferred Herbology and hoped to become a Healer after Hogwarts.

"Is Emma taking Potions?", Dorcas asked Lily as they neared the classroom.

"No way, she hated Potions, you know that" Lily replied, "I think she's in Muggle Studies now".

The girls arrived at the class and Slughorn beamed at Lily as she took her seat near the front.

"Ah Lily Evans, how wonderful to see you", Slughorn said, with complete disregard of the other two girls who walked in with her.

"Good to see you too Professor", Lily added.

She found Slughorn to be pretty overbearing, and even downright creepy at times, but he wasn't totally bad and everyone always told Lily that he was a great contact to have outside of Hogwarts, as he was very respected in his field.

He began reviewing material that they had covered last semester.

Lily quickly lost interest in the portly professor's speech and innocently daydreamed all while keeping an attentive looking expression. Lily found this to be one of her most helpful skills. She could make any teacher believe she was diligently paying attention in class, while her mind wandered about countless other topics. It was all in the eyes she reckoned, eye contact was the trick.

Lily found herself thinking of her boyfriend, Stephen, and the days they spent in Diagon Alley eating ice cream at Florean Fortescue's and roaming the streets peacefully.

She didn't know exactly how serious the two were yet, but she couldn't deny that Stephen was every thing a girl could want in a boyfriend. He was smart, sweet, and any girl at Hogwarts would agree-_bloody handsome. _

They had a fun summer together, and it was great because it was carefree. Now, with her schoolwork, head duties, and the constant reminders of how dangerous the world was becoming for people like her, the past 24 hours had been a reality check.

Lily was very concerned about her family. Her mother and father were completely oblivious to what was going on in the wizarding world, and Petunia had no interest in hearing about what went on in Lily's life.

Lily barely spoke to her sister anymore, but family is family. She did not want to be the reason Petunia, or even her oaf of a boyfriend, Vernon, were harmed in any way.

She also began to wonder about Potter, who was surprisingly quiet in the back of the room with the rest of the Marauders-absent Peter.

She had yelled at him at bit prematurely last night, and he certainly shut her up. But she convinced herself it wasn't her fault. Her lashing out at Potter was more a product of her internal worries than anything he did personally. Besides, he had caused her enough problems for six years that she was allowed to jump to conclusions once.

Although, he did surprise her a few times yesterday. The speech on the train seemed heartfelt, and his idea to mix up the patrol pairing showed he definitely cared about the job at least a little bit. She couldn't get an accurate read on him yet. When she first heard that he was to be Head Boy she was livid. She still wasn't happy about it, but yesterday definitely went differently than she expected.

Dumbledore's words rang clearly in her memory. Last night was one of the few times that he had spoken directly to her, but he always seems like he knows something _more _that he won't tell. Like he can see right through her.

Dumbledore's compliments of her were flattering, but she was more interested in what he had to say about Potter and herself as a partnership. He seemed to be extremely confident that the two could coexist and lead together. Lily was not quite as sure...

"Lily...Lilllly...EVANS", Dorcas using her last name made her jump. Lily was so entranced in her own thoughts that she hadn't even realized the class had ended and half of the room had already cleared out.

"Marlene has Ancient Runes, but since we're free wanna head to the Great Hall?"

"Yes! I told Emma and Stephen I would meet them there anyway".

"Hmmm Stephen, you haven't told me much about your boy yet give me some details!" Dorcas giggled.

Lily sighed, "Well we did have fun this summer, and I really do like him alot, I just don't want to make to much of a big deal about it yet, you know".

"Oh shut it Lily, you're smitten I can tell just looking at you". Dorcas scoffed. "Our Lily is being taken from us finally, I can't believe it!"

Lily blushed, not wanting to admit how much she was really into Stephen, but her face gave her away, "Stop it, you're so dramatic Dorcas!"

The girls walked past the Gryffindor table, waving at the Marauders, who didn't notice them as they were whispering in hushed voices.

Lily caught a bit of what Remus was was saying "No Padfoot, you still don't get it this isn't a game..."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Who knows what ridiculous ideas Sirius was coming up with today", she thought.

She smiled as they reached the Ravenclaw table and gave Emmeline a hug and planted a kiss on Stephen's cheek, "How was Charms?"

"Not bad but I still may need some _extra_ tutoring", Stephen winked at her suggestively.

Lily couldn't help but laugh at his corny joke, "Maybe if you give me some of your marmalade, I'll help you out later".

The couple was garnering plenty of attention as this was one of the first times most of the school could see them openly flirting. They paid no attention to their surroundings though, and were in their own little world.

Stephen Fletcher was tall, tan and flat out gorgeous. His blue eyes had a sparkle that no Hogwarts female could resist. His eyes were set only on Lily though, much to the dismay of the others.

He was also quite smart, like most Ravenclaws, but did not waste his talents hexing students and showing off like Potter. He was as straight edged as could be, and not even the Slytherins could find much fault in him.

But considering Lily had spent the whole summer with him, she needed to catch up with Emmeline, "You _have _to tell me about your summer!"

Emmeline Vance was a strikingly pretty brunette with dark brown eyes, and curves in all the right places. She came from a very wealthy pure-blood family, and often had exciting stories of her summer trips.

"Rome was beautiful! I met this amazing Italian muggle, Giovanni, and we had so much fun, ugh I miss it".

Emmeline went on and on about her nights with Giovanni. She was constantly flirting with boys but could never seem to settle down with one. She and Sirius had been caught in several broom closets over the years.

"...and Milan was absolutely _gorgeous_, I swear you would have loved it!"

Now Emma may be a bit flighty and girly which was not Lily's style at all, but she had a more serious side as well. They had met in their very first class as first years, and had been friends ever since. As much as she liked to talk about herself, Emma was also a good listener, and gave Lily good advice all the time.

She had actually been the one who had told Lily to go for it and date Stephen, when Lily was unsure of herself.

After they had all eaten, the group traveled to Transfiguration together, as the Gryffindors were paired with the Ravenclaws in Professor McGonnagall's class.

"Good Afternoon, and welcome back to Hogwarts all of you. Now today we shall cover a more advanced topic than anything you have learned thus far. We are going to go over the basics of becoming an Animagus".

The class whispered excitedly, "I know this excites most classes, but I must warn you it is incredibly complex and you will most likely not fully grasp the concepts unless you engage in further studies outside of Hogwarts."

Sirius suddenly burst out laughing, uncontrollably, and Lily could see Potter kicking him under the desk trying to get him to shut up.

"Mr. Potter could you please indulge the class in what Mr. Black finds to be so humorous?", inquired McGonnogall.

"I'm sorry professor, we were practicing our cheering charms this morning and I think Peter overdid it a bit on old Sirius here", Potter blatantly lied.

McGonnogall somehow bought this ridiculous excuse, "Very well, just make sure he is under control".

This infuriated Lily beyond belief. McGonnogall, the strictest teacher in the school, had always had a soft spot for James Potter. Part of it was that he was extraordinary in her class and always received top marks. But he also could charm her into believing anything he said.

Lily couldn't stand this about him, and felt he used his sweet talking to get him out of way too many sticky situations. A cheering charm? They hadn't even had Charms today!

Although, the more she thought about it, his relationship with McGonnogall was probably nowhere near as nauseating for the rest of the class as hers was with Slughorn. But as usual, James was the one seeking attention and special treatment, while Slughorn brought it on Lily unwanted.

She took copious notes throughout the class, as McGonnogall zipped through the lecture, leaving most of the class confused. She couldn't help stealing looks at Stephen though. He looked so innocent and cute, even with his large frame.

After Transfiguration, Lily and Stephen decided to go out by the lake, as they were both done for the day and the weather was beautiful.

She snuggled up to her boyfriend and everything felt, _just right. _But in quiet times like these she often would think back to her family, and how they had no idea that they could possibly be in danger.

She decided to confide in her boyfriend. He at least ought to know what is bothering her, when she should be happy.

"I'm worried about them", Lily told Stephen, "What if something happens and I'm not there to protect them?"

"Nothing is going to happen love, why would the Death Eaters want to hurt them?" Stephen reassured her.

This didn't make Lily feel much better though. Stephen often shied away when she tried to talk about more serious topics with him. He liked to keep things simple and happy.

"I just don't know if I should tell them though. I keep telling myself they are better off thinking everything is fine but I really don't know. I can't just leave them helpless in the middle of a warzone."

"Hey", Stephen looked her right in the eyes, "Stop worrying. There are aurors out there protecting muggles. Besides, pretty girls like you shouldn't be thinking about fighting in wars, leave that for the ministry."

This comment really irked Lily, even though she knew Stephen meant well. She already had people who thought she shouldn't be doing magic because she was a muggleborn, she didn't need her own boyfriend doubting her because she was _just a pretty girl._

Lily bit her tongue though. This moment, laying in the grass, was too nice to waste. No need to start a useless fight on a beautiful day like today, right?

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

**So what do you guys think? I like the way this story can go including both James' and Lily's points of view. They both have such different viewpoints on each other and the world that I think it adds a deeper dimension than just seeing things as James does. Also, this shows the nicer/more thoughtful side of Lily, rather than the cold, judgmental side that James saw in the first two chapters. Her friends will also be an important part of the story, just not as essential as the Marauders. Please Review! I appreciate compliments and any criticism!**


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